Hey storyline writers - more help requested!!

[BoofBonser26]

The busiest day of the year for general managers in the [league] has arrived - today is the trading deadline. Each general manager and their staff has been working overtime for days, crunching numbers and reviewing scouting reports in a final attempt to find that one key piece that will change the fate of their franchise. Will they be able to strike the perfect deal? Time will be the ultimate judge, but that won't stop tomorrow's headlines from declaring winners and losers.

[hfield007]

playe signs with hometown team


With the initial reports confirmed and the [insert team nickname] making it official, [insert city] will welcome back its native son this season. [insert player name] has signed a contract for [insert yrs / $$].

The new addition to the team not only filled a needed role on the roster, it gave the fan base the chance to get back a local boy who made good. [insert player last name] said on the return, "You dream of a chance to be doing what you love, where you love. I always hoped to be in a position where I could return to [insert city] and play for the team I grew up rooting for."

When pressed on the choice to take less money than was expected he said, "If I went somewhere else I wouldn't have my mom's apple pies after tough losses. That's an incentive only one city could offer." The grin afterward said it all. A win-win situation for both sides.

[cody8200]

These have now all been entirely coded into OOTP 14. If you have the time, please take a shot at doing any of the story types listed below. Thanks again for your time and effort in making OOTP 14 great! Please feel free to make as many storyline's as you can from each of the listed storylines. They will be randomly used by the game.

Team stuff:

Team clinches playoff spot (general)
Team clinches playoff spot with loss (falls backward into playoffs)
Team clinches playoff with win
Team wins division
Team 5/10/15 games away from clinching (magic number)
Team misses playoffs for 10th/15th/20th straight year
Team hasn't won world series in 25/50/75/100 years
Team losing streak (15/16/17/18/19/20)
Team winning streaK (15/16/17/18/19/20)
Team wins championship (celebration stories)

Player stuff:

Player signs with hometown team
Foreign player signs with MLB, back home the press is excited
A pending free agent is mad and wants to be traded (his team is losing)
Star player is claimed off of waivers (stats cannot be used in storylines btw)
Player's offseason workout deflates ratings
Up and coming prospect gets praise from other team's players
Older player (think 40's+ reports to camp
Team leader tries to build team chemistry

League stuff:

These sound fun but in reality are just announcements to spruce up the game. They cannot be specific. For example, we cannot do a rule 5 story and pull in a list of former rule 5 draftees. In reality, they are all kind of boring to read but variety is the spice of life! Feel free to write up a 3 or 4 sentence note for any of the items below.

general arbitration/rule 5/playoffs start/playoffs end/teams must submit protection list/trading deadline/preseason/spring training/post all star game/ stories/start of the season/end of the season/winter meetings start/winter meeting end/

[sansterre]

Today marked the realization of a dream that was years in coming to fruition: the chance for [player] to finally play for his hometown team, the [team].

"It's funny" [player] observed to reporters during the press conference announcing the acquisition. "You spend your whole childhood with posters from your hometown team on the wall, telling your friends that you'd be a [team nickname] when you grew up. But even when you make the show, it doesn't usually work out that way. There are 29 other teams out there, and you have a family to feed, you know?"

After putting on the colors of his new team, he was asked how it felt. He broke into a big grin. "Like a kid again."

[sansterre]

Over the years, baseball has become an international game. No longer confined to the United States and Canada, you can find youngsters with bat and ball all over the globe. And they all have one goal: to make it big in the majors. And every time an international player makes that leap, it is inevitably a mark of pride for their home country.

All over [origin country], newspapers have been trumpeting the success of [player] for having been picked up by [acquiring team]. "Our loss is the world's gain", one paper reflected. "True, he won't be able to play in front of hometown fans anymore. But every time he takes the field, the world will know that he came from [country]. And every one of our youngsters watching on TV will think have their eyes widen and think, "that could be me one day."

[sansterre]

Sometimes, soon just isn't soon enough.

At least, that's the message sent by [player] when he called a press conference to publicly air his frustration with the [team] management. "I've been around the block a few times," he said with a mournful note in his voice, "I know how this game is played. And I can say that this is easily the most inept management crew I've ever had the displeasure to work for. I don't want to take anything away from my fellow players" he cautioned, nodding to a few of his teammates who were watching from the sidelines with grim faces. "They're playing their hearts out. It's not their fault that we're losing. But I'm sick and tired of being stabbed in the back by desk jockeys that couldn't pour pee out of a boot if the instructions were written on the heel."

When asked if he had a message for the GM, his tone became harsh. "Yeah, I've got a message. Looking for someone to blame? Look in the mirror."

When asked if he wanted to be traded, he deadpanned, "what do you think?"

[Player]'s contract is up at the end of this season. If this press conference was any indication, there is no chance he will re-sign.

[sansterre]

League insiders were surprised to learn that [player] had been placed on waivers, and were not surprised when [new team] snatched them up.

[Original Team's GM] deflected questions about the decision, stating that it was in the best interests of the team.

Perhaps the person most surprised by the transaction was [player] himself. At the press conference, he couldn't keep the rage out of his voice. "This is bull[crap]. But I've got news for [original GM]. He hasn't seen the last of me. I've got a club that recognizes my talent. And every time we play your sorry franchise, I'm going to take the [ball/bat, depending on position] and jam it down your freaking throat."

[sansterre]

The offseason can be an incredibly valuable time for a player. Once freed from the daily grind that makes up the professional major league season, players can spend extra time in the gym, try new workouts, whatever it takes to get an edge. Fans love hearing those kinds of stories.

For other players, the offseason can be a less positive experience. So when [player] walked into camp twenty pounds heavier (and not in the good way), manager [manager] took his criticism public.

"Some players think it's freaking spring break out there. When they show up looking like they went twelve rounds with a dunkin' donuts, it just shows how much respect they have for themselves, for their teammates, and for their fans. And we have no place for that kind of disrespect on this team. If [player's name] wants to get out of the doghouse, he'd better work his tail off."

Whatever else may be true, it's clear that [player] has lost a step in the offseason. We can only hope that [manager] can light a fire under him and get him back into shape.

[sansterre]

Professional ballplayers are an elite club. They represent an incredibly select brotherhood, and it's natural among such groups for new players to get a lot of grief. Unequivocal praise is a rarity from veteran teammates; it's even rarer coming from the opponents.

"I don't know what to say," observed one [team] player, who went on to say "[prospect] really had it going today. Not to give the guy a big head, but if he keeps playing like that, he'll write his own ticket. If he puts it all together, he could be something really special." He flashed a grin. "I just hope he's not playing against us when it happens."

[Shawn0531]

Chicago Cubs Win World Series

The day fans of the Chicago Cubs have been waiting for has finally arrived. "The North Siders" have won the World Series for the first time since 1908. Eager fans of the team mobbed the streets of Chicago after the final out was recorded. Manager Dale Sveum was quoted as saying, "It's a real honor to bring the city a Championship after so long. Generations of fans have come and gone since the last one, and now we get to share this special moment with our loving fans."

[hfield007]

A win is something every team strives for when they take the field. A string of wins is considered a well oiled machine hard at work. But when the [insert team] left the field after their [number of consecutive wins] straight win, it was as if divine intervention had played a role in the destined success of this club.

Manager [insert manager's name] was elated in the post game press conference, "Absolutely sensational. I couldn't write a better script for this team right now. I still have players showing up early to games. These guys are eager and this is a group of guys who are not getting too comfortable. I honestly think they believe they can't lose right now and are doing everything they can to keep this streak rolling."

That much was evident again today when they pulled out another impressive victory to add to their total. The [opposing team name] did little to put them down either. [name of opposing batter is possible] compared the winning streak to "trying to stop a train moving at full pace by just putting out your arms."

They will attempt to go forward at full speed against the [next opponent] facing [next opposing pitcher] on the mound.

[hfield007]

It reached an unbearable 103 degrees in Texas this past week as they continued through a 7 week period with little or no rainfall. But if you were to ask a [insert team name] fan about the worst drought right now he'd be quick to remind you that his boys haven't raised a championship banner once in the last [insert number of years] years.

With the entire front office staff's jobs possibly at risk yet again the team piled up another fruitless year adding to the less than enviable total.

[insert manager's name] said after the last game went final, "Well, we fell short again. No one remembers the manager of a loser. No one remembers the boys who fell flat. By next year it's possible i'm just a name in the record books. But i'll be damned if we didn't give it our all this season."

While some fans were quick to blame ownership for not creating the proper environment for winning, the players seemed to pin it on the lack of executing when it mattered most. A few said that they had enough of a team this past year to make a championship a realistic outcome. Most national writers however disagreed and bet the farm against it early on.

The offseason will prove vital once more in their tireless effort to add a title.

[sansterre]

In the modern age, it's not uncommon for players to have walkout music. But when [player] reported to camp, he was treated to a different kind of music; the theme from Jurassic Park.

"Dinosaurs walk among us!" Shouted one teammate, before being pulled aside to explain the movie reference to one of the younger players.

[Player] is used to the jokes. "I've been doing this a lot of years," he said, wincing as he adjusted the ice packs on his knees. "Jokes come and go. But each day is another chance to walk out onto that field, smell that fresh-cut grass smell, and hear the sound of the fans." He smiled nostalgically. "I'm not looking forward to giving it up. There's nothing else quite like it."

[hfield007]

Regular season games will be back on the slate again now with the all-star game in the books. Although important, the first half of the season isn't the whole battle and teams will look for ways to improve down the stretch this year. A strong finish in baseball is paramount and easily could supercede a slow start to the season. Here is a look at how the second half kicks off:

[show first games]

[Shawn0531]

Team leader tries to build team chemistry

The [Team Name] has been on an unbearable losing streak. To shake things up, Manager [Manager Name] has decided to try and get the players to bond more. [Manager Name] cancelled the off day workouts for his team in favor of taking them out for a day of fun and relaxation at the local pool hall. [Player Name] had this to say about the adventure, " You know it was really nice of [Manager Name] to shake up our routine right now at such a bad time in the season. Hopefully it helps us get out of this rut we caught ourselves in."

[lgkeeper]

A pending free agent is mad and wants to be traded (his team is losing)

He's made every attempt to keep quiet while his club has been racking up losses, but Joe Smith couldn't wait any longer. Following yesterday's loss, Smith spoke with reporters about his team's struggles and his desire to be traded.

"I've tried to make it work here, but I think we all know it's not happening," Smith said. "I'll continue to work hard and give 100% but I've told the powers that be that I would like to move to a contender."

Smith's impending free agency will certainly play a part for any potential destination, as the team who might receive him could only be "renting" the player until the end of the season. Certainly more to come on this developing story.

[lgkeeper]

After all-star game

With the Summer Classic in the rear-view mirror, it's time for the contenders to be separated from the pretenders. This is the time of year where General Managers earn their money, looking to make that deal that sets their club up for a postseason run, or builds a future dynasty. We're only a hop, skip, and a jump away from the postseason. The second half is under way.

[MayoSmith]

With the [team name] seemingly going through the motions during clubhouse meetings and practices, Manager [manager name] has started bringing in his pet cat Nala into the clubhouse and even on the road, reserving a seat for Nala on the plane and serving her an in-flight meal of tuna. The players have taken a shine to the cute little fuzz ball and there has been a noticeable spike in camaraderie among teammates. Said [player's name], "Rhubarb worked for the Brooklyns, so maybe Nala can bring us the same kind of mojo."

[Matthew I]

[Player], Hero of the [team that released him], was released in a controversial move this [time frame].

He hadn't been keeping up with the clubs expectations for the year, and despite his star status at the club, was released to his disappointment.

"Well of course it's a disappointment, but obviously they didn't have faith in me to turn it around. They called me in to tell me the decision, and I expressed my disappointment, but I understand that baseball is a business, so I'm leaving on friendly terms."

[Player's last name] also expressed excitement at a new challenge

UPDATE!: [Player] has been picked up by [Team]

This is big news for fans of [Team], whom must feel lucky at an star like falling into their hands. This infusion of talent must boost their chances at a run to the playoffs.

[Player] Expressed excitement at joining his new team, and hopes that his stay with [Team] is successful.